Matilda and Alred stand beneath the moon

“There you are!” Alred laughed as he came outside.

Matilda stood on the narrow wall-​​walk that ran between the tower where his children slept and the older part of the fort where he and Matilda still had their bedroom.

“I should have known that if there is a full moon then you will surely get lost on your way back.”

“I was only admiring the view,” she sighed happily.

“Are they all asleep?”

“Dunstan was reading, but I told him he might.”

“Matilda…”

“You know he is good about blowing out the candle before he falls asleep!”

“That’s not the only thing I’m worried about. He reads far too much for a boy his age, and far too well.”

“Didn’t you?”

“Precisely my point.”

“Oh, nonsense! I hope he turns into a poet like his father.”

“I hope he turns into a warrior like his father, but I’m afraid that he only has the poet half of me. A man needs both. Once the boys figure out he writes poetry, he will need to know how to defend himself. And once he wins his lady love with his verse, he will need to know how to defend her with his sword.”

“You’re too hard on him, Alred. He’s still a little boy.”

“He will be seven next month, and he will have his own sword. He needn’t learn to love it, but he shall learn to use it.”

“I can’t believe my baby is getting his sword already,” she sighed. “Before I know it he will be a man, and getting married, and then he will love another woman more than me.”

“You wouldn’t expect me to share you forever?”

“Don’t you grin at me! Some day Margaret will fall in love, and then where will you be?”

“I shall be standing guard outside her door.”

“You will be as bad as my father. Godwin’s own sons were not good enough for me.”

“Then who can be good enough for your daughters?”

“Perhaps a prince?” she smiled.

“Jupiter! You and Sigefrith are in league against me. I’m not sure I want that little scamp marrying one of my daughters.”

“Caedwulf’s a good boy.”

“He’ll be Sigefrith all over again. Mark my words.”

“And? There’s nothing wrong with Sigefrith that a good wife wouldn’t fix.”

“Ah, let’s not talk about Sigefrith’s wife. In fact let’s not talk at all. Have you had your fill of moonlight, my lady? I’m cold.”

“I can never have my fill of moonlight, but I shall come inside if you like.”

“What did your father say about too much moonlight?”

“He said it made a woman over-​​ripe.”

Alred laughed. “He thought that was a bad thing? Come inside, Matilda, before you fall off the tree and get bruised.”